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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · scale · perch · fall · calf · dip · nail · court

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — of law
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — the season
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. court — of a king
  10. snap — to click
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. scale — size or range
  19. dip — to sink
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — for sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com